EARLY   IMPRESSIONS
some beautiful white ones, but they were very
delicate, and generally came to an untimely end.
We tried to take one to Kerman, but it met with
a sad death when only half way there.
Cats are exported on quite a large scale to India
and other places. They are taken to the coast by
horse-dealers, who tether them in much the same
way as they do their horses.
One of the late Shahs is said to have been very
devoted to cats, and always took one with him
when he travelled, a special baggage animal being
reserved for the cage of this favourite pet.
There are many ways of journeying in Persia,
and the would-be traveller can take his choice ac-
cording to his own ideas of comfort and convenience.
To my mind the most pleasant way of all is to have
your own horses for riding, and thus be able to set
your own pace and not have to be bound down
to the slow, wearying, never-changing rate of the
caravan.
For those who do not care for, or are not strong
enough for riding, there are many conveyances.
Here, again, the traveller has quite a large choice
of good things. First of all there is the "kajavah."
This consists of two cage-like boxes, suspended one
on each side of the animal: the interior of these boxes
sometimes boasts of a little low seat, but as a rule is
innocent of any such luxury. Two people of about
the same weight must sit on each side, or the result
is disastrous. I remember once being with a large
caravan. In one of these kajavahs was travelling
a Government official and his wife. He was very
tiny, she was quite the reverse, the result being